Darwin, Australia
Live METAR wind (80° at 3 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 11), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin.
As of Tue 27 Oct, 00:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 11. The METAR wind is 80° at 3 kt. 11 shows +2.6 kt headwind and 1.5 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Tue 27 Oct, 00:19.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 109° | 11,004 ft | +2.6 kt | 1.5 kt | Landing + departure |
| 29 | 289° | 11,004 ft | -2.6 kt | 1.5 kt | Standby |
| 18 | 180° | 5,000 ft | -0.5 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 36 | 360° | 5,000 ft | +0.5 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
METAR YPDN 261430Z AUTO 08003KT 9999 // NCD 27/25 Q1013
Live weather
VFR80° @ 3 kt
27°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1013 hPa
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Front-lit sector
Backlight / glare cone
Sun ray · amber pins are landmarks
Green pins are calculated. Blue pins are OpenStreetMap parks and viewpoints.
Every pin below carries original geometry: meters to the nearest runway centerline, the compass bearing toward the aircraft, the morning or afternoon that puts the sun behind that view, and a lens picked only from that distance.
Short final 11 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 66/100
Short final 11 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 11 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 79.8°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 15:00–18:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Calculated public-side point about 1.2 km from the landing threshold and 280 m off the centerline, on the sunny side. Confirm the fence is between you and the runway before you stop.
Now: Night / Low light
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Best time to plane spot at Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin (DRW / YPDN): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude -12.415, longitude 130.882, and the Australia/Darwin clock plus each spot's view bearing. Morning is 07:00-11:00, midday is 11:00-14:00, and afternoon / golden hour is 14:00-18:00. CLEAN FRONT LIGHT means the sun sits behind the camera. BACKLIT / GLARE means the sun is in the lens. HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT is overhead midday light.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Short final 11 - sunny side Runway 11 | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Zero-Delay Fence Audio
Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more, which is enough to miss the runway change and be on the wrong side of the field. Tower is 133.1 MHz. D-ATIS is 112.6 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 11, bring a 150-600mm lens.
Sony FE 200-600mm
Beyond 450 m you want 150-600mm. A 200-600mm zoom still frames a heavy jet on a long final.
Search this gearUniden Bearcat BC125AT
Handheld VHF airband scanner for tower and ATIS at the fence. Online streams run 30 seconds or more behind.
Search this gearFlightAware Pro Stick
USB ADS-B receiver if you want tail numbers on a laptop beside the photos.
Search this gearAs of Tue 27 Oct, 00:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 11. The METAR wind is 80° at 3 kt. 11 shows +2.6 kt headwind and 1.5 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 98° azimuth and 24° elevation. Short final 11 - sunny side scores 69/100, 1234 m from runway 11, view bearing 138.3°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 264° and 39°. Short final 11 - sunny side scores 95/100 on a 79.8° view. Morning and afternoon picks follow that bearing: a view that wants the sun in the east is a morning spot, and a view that wants it in the west is an afternoon spot.
The best time to plane spot at Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin (DRW/YPDN) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: Short final 11 - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 1 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.
YPDN spotting locations sun direction: Short final 11 - sunny side (runway 11) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 11 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 11 centerline, so the lens is 150-600mm. The bands are fixed from that distance: 70-200mm inside 250 m, 100-400mm from 250 m to 450 m, and 150-600mm beyond 450 m. The aircraft itself is about 573 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
Monitor Tower 133.1 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, Departure 123.0 MHz, ATIS 112.6 MHz. Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more. A handheld VHF airband scanner at the fence is the zero-delay way to hear a runway change on Tower 133.1 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 80° at 3 kt, so 11 remains the favored arrival. The $3/mo Telegram Runway-Shift Alert pings you when D-ATIS or the METAR wind vector changes the active runway: https://planespottingmap.com/airport/YPDN#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.